Arundell

This is one of the Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust's

site. It is 26 hectares of naturalised landscape and wetland habitat holding many hundreds of exotic wildlife from around the world and is home to many rare species of wetland wildlife, as well as attracting wildlife visitors. It is set in ancient woodlands in the middle of the South Downs next to the River Arun and overlooked by Arundel Castle.

Their wetlands discovery area allows you to take a quiet safari boat ride along the waterways and on your journey discover the wild flora and fauna in their natural environment and hopefully some wetland visitors. Boats have a restricted number of persons on board and with a trained guide you get as close as possible to the wildlife, so no need for telescopes or binoculars. You travel deep into the reed beds, where you might see Water Voles, migrant birds, dragonflies, snakes and more. You can also take a reed bed walk and get up close yourself at your own pace if you want to.

As well as the annual wild visitors which visit, like all of the WWT centres, they also have some permanent residents on their lakes such as New Zealand Blue Ducks.

Throughout the year on a visit you can expect to see such highlights as Kingfishers, Reed Buntings, Goldcrest, Bullfinches, Blackcaps, Siskin, Redpol, Grey Wagtails, Long-tailed, Marsh, Coal, Great and Blue Tits, Willow and Sedge Warblers, Cetti's Warblers, Water Voles, Nightingale and a Cuckoos may be heard and Common Tern. See their website for daily reports of what can be seen.

Cettis Warbler and Reed Bunting are singing in their territories and the Peregrines on the Hanger have been observed displaying with the pair mating at the end of the ritual. The first Mallard ducklings have been hatching over the past week. Two pairs of Oystercatchers can be seen on the islands of Swan Lake and the Scrape area. Lapwing are starting to display with the males tumbling and diving whilst delivering their lovely 'peewit' call. Snipe have been seen in many areas of reserve with up to 13 in the cut area of the Reedbed and over 50 individuals being seen from the Ramsar hide. A Firecrest has been present in the hedgerow opposite the Wildlife Garden. Good numbers of Pochard and Tufted Duck are still being seen on Wetlands Discovery and most of them are in pairs. Blue Tits and Great Tits have been seen inspecting the numbered woodcrete nest boxes and a pair of Treecreeper are a regular sighting on the silver birch trees at the start of the North American pen. Kingfishers can still be seen around the reserve but not as regularly now that they have paired and set up their territories. Common Frogs have spawned in the newly created pools in the cut area of the reedbed. A couple of Common Toads have been seen in and around the reserve but have yet to spawn.
Coltsfoot is now flowering well in several areas especially on Wetlands Discovery and a single Lady's Smock was seen flowering last week. The Wet Meadow area on the Woodland loop has now had some work completed to remove some of the spreading Dogwood and a cut and rake to encourage some of the delicate flowers which have grown here in the past.

Also on site if you look closely you should be able to see butterflies such as the Peacock, Small Tortoiseshell, Comma and Brimstone. Clumps of Coltsfoot, Primrose, Cuckoo Flower, Cowslips, Dog Violet, Hyacinth, Snakeshead Fritillary, Speedwell, Ground Ivy, Marsh Marigold, Herb Robert and Bluebells flower throughout the reserve.

WWT Arundel is close to the A27 & A29. On approaching Arundel by road, visitors should follow the brown duck signs. By foot from Arundel railway station, it is half a mile to Arundel Town and a further, gentle mile along Mill Road to the Trust. By Bus, there is a 30 minute service both from Chichester & the West (Route 55), and Brighton, Worthing & the East (Route 702) every weekday to the Arundel Town centre with the same walk along Mill Road.

Please let us know any other information that we can add to the Further information and Planning Grids or page and any errors that you discover. Before making a long trip to any location it is always wise to double check the current information, websites like magazines may be correct at the time the information is written, but things change and it is of course impossible to double check all entries on a regular basis. If you have any good photographs that you feel would improve the illustration of this page then please let us have copies. In referring to this page it is helpful if you quote both the Page Ref and Topic or Section references from the Grid below. To print the planning grid select it then right click and print the selected area.

Please submit information on locations you discover so that this system continues to grow.

Arundel Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre

Planning Grid